‘It’s absolutely stunning what we’ve seen in the last 45 minutes… I can’t believe Japan have come back against Spain’: Gary Neville left SHOCKED by thrilling comeback as Germans are dumped out
Gary Neville has claimed he is stunned after Japan’s shock victory over Spain saw Germany crash out of the World Cup at the group stage.
Germany needed a victory over Costa Rica tonight and for Spain to beat Japan.
While they beat Costa Rica 4-2, Japan secured first place in Group E with a 2-1 victory over Spain, leaving Hansi Flick’s men in third place and Costa Rica fourth.
German suffered a shock elimination from the group stages of the World Cup
‘It’s absolutely stunning what we’ve seen in the last 45 minutes is absolutely incredible,” Neville said on ITV.
‘Germany going out the tournament, I can’t believe it, I can’t believe Japan have come back against Spain.’
It marked the second successive World Cup where Germany have failed to reach the knock-out stage, after the four-time winners bowed out of the 2018 tournament as the holders.
Neville also claimed there has been a failure to communicate big decisions throughout the tournament after Japan’s controversial second goal.
Gary Neville said there had been a failure to communicate big decisions during the World Cup
Ao Tanaka scored from close range as Japan came from behind to lead.
The goal was eventually awarded by VAR, despite the ball appearing to have gone out of play before Kaoru Mitoma’s cross into the box.
‘From the first day of the tournament we haven’t been able to communicate on big decisions really clearly to fans at home and even to us how these decisions are being overturned’ said Neville.
‘There was a goal that was disallowed and VAR has seen something that we’ve not seen yet in this studio, we can’t get an angle of what the VAR has seen.’
Germany became the latest of the tournament favourites to crash out in the group stage
Neville’s fellow ITV pundit Eni Aluko said she could not recall another World Cup with as many shocks, with Belgium having also crashed out today.
‘I can’t remember a World Cup with so many upsets, Japan have one it again, they’ve beaten Germany in the first game and they’ve beaten another massive nation in Spain as much as we were waxing lyrical at half-time,” Aluko said.
‘They’ve beaten them. Belgium are out, France lost last night – for all the controversy of the tournament, the football has spoken.
‘They’ve been incredible games.’
